


For the Caged Birds Banter and Bleed

by Aztecl



Series: Aztecl's Spring-Break-a-Bone-or-Two [2]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: "let's just say it's both our fault", Angst, Aztecl's Spring-Break-a-Bone-or-Two, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Injury, Medical Inaccuracies, Trapped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 04:34:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30083535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aztecl/pseuds/Aztecl
Summary: When an explosive detonates near the Infirmary, Julian and Kira get stuck inside the former's office. Injuries and friendship ensue while they wait for communications to restart, the debris to clear, and for one of them to drive the other crazy.[Spring-Break-a-Bone-or-Two #2: "Let's just say it's both our fault"]
Relationships: Julian Bashir & Kira Nerys
Series: Aztecl's Spring-Break-a-Bone-or-Two [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2211519
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	For the Caged Birds Banter and Bleed

**Author's Note:**

> Spring-Break-a-Bone-or-Two is a whump prompted challenge I created because of my failures at completing last Whumptober and Febuwhump. It starts 3/15 and finishes on my final day of spring break from school, 3/19. Prompts can be found on the main series page.  
> _
> 
> Title remixed from "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", in which I take the beautiful meaning of a poem and throw it out the window.

"Don't blame this one on me, Major!"

"Why not? You're the one who insisted on giving me a physical!"

"Well, I didn't plant the bomb! How about… let's just say it's both our fault."

Kira huffed and began pacing the room again. Less than an hour ago, she had been stuck in Julian's office in the Infirmary because of her apparent physical being overdue. And now she was  _ literally _ stuck.

They could only speculate about the explosion that had rocked the station. The room shook violently, knocking bottles and hyposprays off shelves and tables. To Kira, it seemed as if the bomb or explosive had been planted in a spot specific to causing the most damage to the Infirmary. Someone was definitely targeting it - and possibly all of its occupants.

"Fine then," she said. "Our priority should be figuring out why someone went for the Infirmary. I don't think you're  _ that _ important, Doctor."

Julian allowed himself a small chuckle. "My first priority as a doctor lies in making sure my patients are cared for. Your head has been bleeding for the past ten minutes, yet you refuse to let me treat you."

"We're trapped in a broken down office, the computer isn't responding, the ceiling is half caved in, you've dislocated your own shoulder… and you're concerned about me?"

"I'm a doctor, Major," Julian said, hazel eyes sparkling with concern and a bit of pain. "Now, sit still. Doctor's orders."

Kira rolled her eyes but obeyed. She sat on the floor in a small spot clear of any debris or broken glass. She would've sat in Julian's chair, however most of the ceiling above that part of the office had collapsed, sinking down to a point where she could reach up and touch it with ease.

Julian approached the area that was once his desk, being careful as to not jostle his shoulder. He took one glance at the desk before apparently deciding upon something and shaking his head.

"Doctor?"

"Hmph? Oh, I was just looking to see if any of the hyposprays on my desk had survived." He frowned. "Clearly not."

"What a shame," Kira said wryly. "I guess you can't treat me now that you're without your supplies."

"Humor me, Nerys."

Julian knelt next to her and grimaced in pain as he tried to remove his outer jacket. He couldn't get it over his dislocated shoulder, so she gently helped nudge the fabric over. She noticed him biting his lip to keep from crying out.

"You should've let me fix your shoulder," Kira muttered.

He tore off a few strips and peered at her head. A few long seconds went by, and Kira tapped her foot and narrowed her eyes. Before she got the chance to chide him for just  _ staring  _ at her forehead, Julian took a swath of grey fabric in one hand and half wrapped it around her head.

"My hands may be a little cold," he said, which she realized was just to warn her that he was about to touch her.

Julian had worked with many Bajoran patients, all of whom had experienced the Occupation in some way. Whether it was witnessing murder or bloodshed, the feeling of constant hunger, or just the persistent drum of fear making their hearts pound. Everyone was jumpy. Skittish. Prone to distrusting those who just wanted to help.

Kira knew firsthand.

"How does that feel, Nerys?" Julian asked. "Tight enough?"

"It feels fine, Doctor. Thank you."

He smiled, warmth filling his features. "Just doing my job."

"Now," Kira said, solemnly, "let me do mine as your commanding officer. I'm supposed to ensure your safety, so I'll be damned if I don't fix your shoulder."

Julian sighed and looked down at his limply hanging arm. "I have a feeling this will be quite painful."

"You'll hold Chief O'Brien in a higher esteem. On the count of three?"

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Don't encourage me, Julian," Kira shot back before grabbing his wrist and  _ gently  _ moving his arm and shoulder back into place, ignoring Julian's yelp of pain.

His eyes were squeezed shut. "Thank you, Nerys. And you were right, I  _ do  _ contain a newfound respect for Miles."

Kira grinned at him. "I'll be sure to tell him that."

"I'll never hear the end of it," Julian groaned. "Everytime he comes in after canoeing, he'll say to me—"

" _ O'Brien to Kira _ ," a voice said from her combadge.

They exchanged an incredulous look while suppressing a laugh. Apparently communications were back up.

"It's a relief to hear your voice, Chief. What happened?"

" _ Odo got word of a threat to bomb the Infirmary. There was an explosive device planted in a conduit somewhere near Doctor Bashir's office, and it was prematurely triggered." _

"Prematurely?" Julian inquired. "It wasn't supposed to go off when it did?"

" _ No _ ," O'Brien said. " _ The culprit admitted that he was planning on detonating the explosive at a time when the Infirmary was mostly empty _ ."

"That doesn't make sense."

"Agreed," Kira added. "Do we know what his intentions were? Why go after the Infirmary and not, let's say, Ops or Quark's?"

" _ Well, I can't tell you that yet. Odo is still trying to get answers from the culprit in the holding cells. _ "

"Any casualties?" Julian asked, likely thinking about his patients.

" _ None, though we've had to convert empty crew quarters into a makeshift sickbay. _ " O'Brien paused. " _ Are you two alright?" _

"Nothing serious, although you'll probably take pleasure in knowing I dislocated my shoulder," Julian said.

O'Brien made a sound halfway between a laugh and a snort. " _ How did you manage that, Julian? Fall off your chair a little too hard? _ "

"Possibly," Kira said, biting down on the inside of her cheek in an attempt to not laugh. She tasted blood.

" _ You'll be trapped in there for the next few hours while we sort through the wreckage and deal with any more serious injuries. _ "

Kira sighed. "Acknowledged, Chief."

The line went dead with a single chirp from her combadge.

"Kira?" Julian said.

"Yes, Julian?"

"I'm glad to have your company here, even if we're in a bit of an unfortunate situation."

There was a beat of silence before she replied, "The feeling is mutual."

"A simple 'me too' would have worked," Julian joked.

"Oh, shut up, Doctor."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated strings for the words in my head. :)


End file.
